This invention relates to a roller type shade and particularly to one adapted for use in a motor vehicle for covering a rear interior compartment area of the vehicle.
In many styles of modern motor vehicles, a rear compartment area is provided for the storage of cargo or personal items. For enhanced security, motor vehicle manufacturers often provide a retractable shade panel which can be extended to cover the compartment area. Typically, such security shades are comprised of a roller tube mounted to a support structure in the vehicle with a flexible fabric panel wrapped onto the roller tube. The security shade panel can be extended to cover the compartment area or retracted onto the roller tube when it is not needed. Security shades typically also have a means for conveniently enabling them to be removed and reinstalled in the vehicle. The edge of the fabric shade panel opposite the edge attached to the roller tube normally has a pull tube or stiffener. The pull tube may also have a handle to enable the shade panel to be conveniently withdrawn from the roller tube. A mechanism is provided to hold the pull tube in the extended position to maintain the cover over the compartment area. Clips or other fasteners are often used at the opposite lateral edges of the pull tube to maintain it in the extended position.
Conventional vehicle security shades are mounted such that the roller tube is positioned across the compartment area with the shade panel being drawn rearward toward the vehicle's rear cargo door to the extended position. For many vehicles having security shades the shade is mounted behind a rear seat back which can be folded down to enlarge the cargo area of the vehicle. When the cargo area is enlarged in this way, the shade assembly needs to be removed so that it does not obstruct the cargo area. For this reason, vehicle security shades often feature a mounting system which enables them to be easily detached and removed from the vehicle. This requirement involves additional components incorporated into the security shade which adds cost and complexity to the overall unit.
Since conventional roller shades are extended toward the rear of the vehicle and are maintained in that position by engaging the pull tube with mounting brackets in the compartment area, generally the shade can be extended and retracted only from the rear cargo door of the vehicle. Therefore, the operator must be outside of the vehicle to change the position of the security shade cover.
The roller shade assembly according to this invention improves over existing devices with respect to the above referenced areas of concern. The roller shade assembly of this invention is mounted in the vehicle in such a manner that the flexible shade panel is extended in a transverse or "cross-body" direction, from one side of the vehicle's cargo compartment to the opposite side. With this configuration, when the shade panel is in its retracted position, the entire cargo area is unobstructed. This feature enables the roller shade assembly to be fully incorporated into the vehicle interior compartment trim, and, therefore, a quick dismounting feature is not needed. By providing the shade panel stiffener tube with a centrally positioned handle for moving the shade, the handle can be accessed either from the occupant compartment of the vehicle or from the rear compartment door. In some applications, the cross body configuration also provides the advantage of reducing interference problems associated with the presence of a spare tire or other fixed obstructions in a rear compartment area.
Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiments and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.